Rabbinic literature employs both terms in various situations--sometimes synonymously, sometimes not (24)--but it appears that generally the hasid is the one who adheres to an even higher ethical and moral standard than the tzaddik.

The film tells the story, which the media overlooked, of a black man who saved a Hasid from an angry mob, of their subsequent friendship and their program to get blacks and Jews to get beyond the stereotypes they have of one another.

The first is the man who followed in the tradition of the Jewish prophets, the Galilean hasid who had quite a lot to say about how we should live with one another in the here and now, and who placed the new commandment--"love thy neighbor as thyself"--in the same category as the older one about loving God.

As medieval Jewish historian Ivan Marcus puts it, "As a result of their multilayered view about God's will and revelation, the pietist authors instruct the hasid not only to observe all of the religious obligations required of ordinary Jews but also to strive to discover limitless new obligations hidden in Scripture and not explicitly revealed at Sinai in either the oral or written traditions.

The authors argue that Jews have a sense of benevolence towards other faith group; they do not seek to convert the world because one may be a hasid, a pious person, without converting: not so Christians.

Most of the stories, however, play off a familiar American setting against Englander's always ironic take on what it means to be Jewish: insanity in a suburban congregation, a Royal Hills wig-maker who dons one of her own creations and becomes a changed woman, the gentile in a Manhattan taxi who is suddenly aware that he is "the bearer of a jewish soul," the portly hasid who works as a department store Santa at Christmas, and the complicated affairs of a "Royal Hills agunah," whose husband refuses to give her a get.

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.